Three Republican members of the Chester Upland School District board clarified the reasons they voted against adopting the financial and academic recovery plan developed by Chief Recovery Officer Joseph Watkins, saying voting in favor of the plan would have meant implementing it exactly as written.

The board voted against adopting the plan Monday in a 5-4 decision that split down party lines and allows the Pennsylvania Department of Education to seek a receivership for the district.

Republican board members Wanda Mann, Baltazar Rubio and LaKisha Blackwell said Thursday that they voted against the plan because the board's varied modifications had been denied and they did not believe they would have much influence going forward.

"Do you sign the contract as it's given to you and then negotiate the terms?" asked Rubio, the board's vice president. "Or do you go ahead and negotiate the terms of the contract and then sign it?

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"We've got to read the plan, negotiate the plan and come to the points that we believe are beneficial to the kids that we know. When we negotiate this, then we can agree to it. They didn't give us any leeway."

The Republicans said they suggested several modifications at various meetings, but that those requests were denied.

Solicitor Leo Hackett said the board would have greater influence arguing its case in court than it would requesting modifications as Watkins implemented the plan.

Hackett said the state has until Monday to petition the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas for a receiver. The court then has seven days to hold a hearing and another 10 days to render a decision.

Hackett said there are a number of issues that can be argued in court, not only in regard to whether a receiver is appropriate, but some pertaining to the legality of the plan itself.

"It's not just an automatic receiver," Hackett said. "The whole situation is not over yet. ... It's not the end of the issues."

Watkins' plan called for school closures, staff cuts and tax increases while restoring art and music programs throughout the district and adding various service programs. It was dependent on the district regaining students lost to charter schools and the procurement of private donations and an endowment.

It also required the district to make Adequate Yearly Progress by the end of the 2014-15 school year.

Blackwell called the probability of attaining those marks "totally unrealistic." Rubio said the plan's two-year time frame is designed to "dismantle" Chester Upland into a district of charter schools.

The Democrats who voted to implement the plan said they did not like portions of the plan, but that voting in its favor was their only way to maintain an active role in the direction of the district.

Mann, the board president, said the board would have been "voiceless" in that case, noting that Watkins had denied its request to keep the STEM magnet high school housed at Smedley High School and Stetser Elementary open. The schools are among the district's better-performing schools.

The Republicans added that they asked for a five-year timetable to meet AYP and for a moratorium on charter schools, but that those requests also were denied.

"Even when we brought them up," Rubio said, "they didn't listen to them. They didn't care to hear it."

Watkins declined to respond to the Republicans' accusations Thursday, saying they were free to state their opinions. He said he would allow the plan to speak for itself.

Tim Eller, spokesman for the Department of Education, simply forwarded a portion of the Public School Code when asked whether the board could have recommended modifications after the plan had been approved.

The code states the recovery officer must consult with the board and superintendent regarding any revisions to the recovery plan. Any revision must be approved by the school board and the state secretary of education.

Anthony Johnson, a Democratic board member, refuted many of the Republicans' remarks Thursday, saying the board had plenty of chances to voice its opinions and that modifications were made along the way.

He said some modifications, including the request for a five-year timetable, were suggested too late in the process.

Johnson said the Republicans should have had better attendance at both community meetings and weekly board sessions hosted by Watkins. Johnson said he never heard the community request the board step aside in favor of a receiver.

"I wasn't 100 percent with the plan, but the community was fine with the plan," Johnson said.

Johnson also claimed the Republicans voted against the plan because the Democrats are likely to gain control of the board following the 2013 municipal election.

"To me, they're crying over sour milk," Johnson said. "They voted no. They have to live with that. They just sold their community and their children out."

Rubio does not view the board's decision that way.

"We're going to fight for our kids," he said. "Because this is all this is about in the long run."